The Australian Radio Network has pouched Matt Tilley away from Austereo to join Jane Hall on an all-new breakfast show on an all-new station KIIS 101.1 in Melbourne in January.
ARN will rebrand Mix 101.1 as KIIS 101.1 as it changes to a Top 40 format for 2015.
Tilley has been with Austereo since 1990, firstly as a comedy writer for FOX-FM He developed a variety of characters in the early 90s including late night host Vernon before becoming the main man of the Fox Morning Crew. Recently he was part of the Triple M Melbourne line-up (also for Austereo).
Tilley’s departure to rival KIIS 101.1 comes as Austereo posted his worst rating year of all-time. Flagship station, the once powerful 2DAYFM Sydney, slid to its lowest survey result ever (3.6) and its breakfast show posted at figure of 2.9, the lowest figure of any Sydney radio station except for Grant Goldman on 2SM.
With Tilley and Hall over at KIIS 101.1 Melbourne, Austereo is shaping up for more of the same in 2015.
ARN Content Director Duncan Campbell is excited about his new Melbourne line-up. “KIIS 101.1 will be a new station built specifically for Melbourne listeners with an exciting new breakfast show hosted by Matt and Jane,” he said. “They will make for a dynamic and entertaining combination with a passion for the city set against the backdrop of a new energetic station.”
“I love waking up with Melbourne every morning and I’m honoured and incredibly excited to be a part of this brand new station created especially for our city. We all know it’s the best place in Australia to live and work, and we can’t wait to show Melbourne what Matt and I have in store in 2015,” Jane Hall said.
Hall is a familiar face on Australian television having had roles in All Together Now, A Country Practice and Neighbours. She joined the Australian Radio Network in 2012.
At the other end of the day KIIS 101.1 will feature the return of Hughesy & Kate, formerly of NOVA Breakfast. “The proven strength and audience connection of Hughesy & Kate in Drive, combined with the fresh new on-air breakfast team of Matt Tilley and Jane Hall, puts KIIS 101.1 in a powerful position to shake things up in Melbourne from January next year”, ARN CEO Ciaran Davis said.
“KIIS 101.1 is going to bring a new dimension to the market in Melbourne, and I am excited that ARN will build on offering Melbourne audiences a unique brand of entertainment and advertisers across the country the most compelling sales and integration offering,” he added.
“I’m confident that fans of Mix101.1 will enjoy the new direction of KIIS 101.1, and this rebrand is another example of our proven strategy for growth.”
